"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay
down one's life for his friends." One of the most precious days in the memories of
my husband and I is the day that our daughter was born. Since then, we have come to more
fully appreciate that children are a gift from God. We have also come to understand that
bringing up children takes a lot of time!
The passage for today talks about how God wants us to define friendship. It talks about
laying down our lives for our friends. No matter what spiritual gifts we have been given,
we are called to take time to help our friends.
Sometimes this gift of time seems like more than I can give. Then I have to think hard
about the urgency of helping a friend as opposed to the importance of what I had planned
to do otherwise. Many things in our lives can take time, such as jobs, children, school,
and fulfilling dreams. Through this Bible passage, I feel that God tells us how to
prioritize the many things we have to do. We are to put God and others first.
In my life, I have been the most fulfilled and happy when I have followed this command.
My most rewarding relationships are those into which I have put the most energy. I guess
Father does know best!
